Battery terminal clamp



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 21, 1966 Nov. 5, 1968 J. K. SHANNON BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 21, 1966 United States Patent 3,409,865 BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP John K. Shannon, Kenosha, Wis., assignor to Quick Cable Corporation, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed July 21, 1966, Ser. No. 566,875 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-227) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A battery terminal clamp including a hard metal skeleton member stamped from a single piece of material, such as steel, and shaped to the general configuration of the battery terminal clamp. The skeleton member thereafter is surrounded with a soft noncorrosive metal such as lead to form a battery terminal clamp with the corrosiveresisting characteristics of the exterior soft metal and yet the residual strength of the skeleton member. The skeleton member further has a clamping structure integrally formed with it for aflixing the battery terminal clamp to a battery cable.

The present invention relates to a battery terminal clamp construction applicable for the replacement of worn or spent existing terminals. More particularly, the invention deals with the provision of a hard metal skeleton stamped from a single piece of material, such as steel, which is shaped to the general configuration of the battery terminal clamp, and thereafter surrounded with a soft noncorrosive metal such as lead to form a terminal clamp with the corrosive-resisting characteristics of the exterior soft metal such as lead, and yet the residual strength of the skeleton member such as steel.

Quite often the battery cable leading to a terminal may be sound and usable, and yet the terminal clamp no longer functional because of corrosion. It therefore becomes common practice to remove the spent terminal clamp, and attach a replacement clamp to the serviceable cable. The present invention contemplates just such a terminal clamp with the improved characteristics of reduced costs, and superior corrosion resistance.

The replacement terminal clamps presently marketed are generally made of brass or bronze. They are suitable insofar as their strength and electrical properties are concerned, but their corrosion-resistance properties are less than desirable in the environment created with most storage batteries. Even the addition of plating, at extra expense, will not produce corrosion characteristics as satisfactory as lead or other soft materials. Lead used alone as a terminal clamp will provide excellent corrosion resistance. Unfortunately, however, a lead terminal clamp must be made quite massive to impart the necessary strength to be clamped tightly again-st the cable. Furthermore, lead used alone has a tendency to cold flow when drawn tightly against the cable so that the electrical and physical connection becomes less intimate as time elapses.

In view of the foregoing, it is the principal objece of the present invention to provide a battery terminal clamp with the desirable strength characteristics of steel, and the corrosion resistance characteristics of lead, the same being combined in an inexpensive and economical form.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a battery terminal clamp construction suitable for the three different types of cable mounting: central longitudinal clamping, offset longitudinal clamping, and transverse central clamping.

Still another and more detailed object of the present invention looks to the provision of a battery terminal clamp of a hard central skeleton and soft exterior in which the central skeleton can be formed from a single stamping, irrespective of which of the three foregoing embodiments of a terminal clamp is intended.

Yet another object of the invent-ion looks to the provision of a terminal clamp with a hard metal skeleton Iimbedded in a soft material in which the clamping elements need not be threaded, but utilize the combined properties of the soft and hard metals to permit the employment of self-tapping bolts.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a battery terminal clamp of the longitudinal central clamping variety;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the skeleton employed within the battery terminal clamp of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation in reduced scale of the battery terminal clamp shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the relationship between the skeleton and the exterior soft metal, the latter being shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the stamping for the skeleton which is formed subsequently into the configuration shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective exploded view of the embodiment of an offset battery terminal clamp;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the. battery terminal clamp shown in FIG. 5 illustrating the offset interior skeleton in solid lines and the exterior soft metal material in phantom lines;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the stamping of the skeleton for the battery terminal connector shown in FIGS. 5 through 8 inclusive;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the skeleton for the battery terminal clamp shown in FIGS. 5 through 7 de scribed above;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment illustrating, in exploded form, a transverse battery terminal clamp;

FIG. 10 is a front elevation of the transverse battery terminal clamp shown in FIG. 9 illustrating in solid lines the skeleton portion thereof and showing in phantom lines the soft metal cast thereabout;

FIG. l l is a perspective view of the skeleton member employed in the transverse 'battery terminal clamp of FIGS. 9 and 10; and

FIG. 12 is a layout view of the stamping employed to form the skeleton of the transverse battery terminal clamp illustrated in FIG. 11.

As indicated in the objects above, it is apparent that the three battery terminal clamps generally illustrated in FIGS. 1, 5 and 9, although different in application, all serve the same purpose, and all employ a central skeleton in combination with a soft metal exterior. The first embodiment battery terminal clamp 10 shown in FIG. 1 clamps the cable 22 between a pair of upper cable clamping plates 18 and lower cable clamping plates 19 in cable recesses 20, 21 positioning the cable in a longitudinal fashion in the center portion of the battery terminal clamp 10. The offset battery terminal clamp 35 shown in FIG. 5 has a single offset cable clamping plate 36 and a cooperative removable clamp 44 which clamps the cable 22 (see particularly FIG. 6) in an offset longitudinal relationship to the battery terminal clamp 35. Finally, the transverse battery terminal clamp 50 shown in FIG. 9 utilizes a pair of transverse cable clamping plates 51 having interior transverse cable recesses 52 to clamp the cable 22 in a transverse relationship to the cable clamping plates 51. Each of the three embodiments utilizes a skeleton which can be stamped in the flat as illustrated in FIGS. 4, 7

l 3 and 12, and each of the stamped skeletons has a pair of legs 26 terminating in an aperture 28 to define a U-shaped clamping portion for surrounding the battery terminal cable, as will be defined in greater detail hereinafter. For convenience in understanding the invention, and further illustrative of the common aspects of all three embodiments, reference numerals will be the same for all three embodiments where the structure referred to is generally common. In those instances where the reference numerals are different, it will still be appreciated that the structural elements still cooperate to perform the comparable function of all three embodiments.

Referring now in greater detail to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the longitudinal terminal clamp has a central terminal clamping aperture 11, generally a slightly tapered frusto-conical section to meet withthe tapered battery terminal; At the open end of the terminal clamping aperture 11, a pair of bolt holes 12 are provided to receive the terminal bolts 14 and be clamped by the terminal nut 15 when the head of the bolt and the nut cooperatively squeeze the lugs 16 thereby reducing the size of the terminal clamping aperture 11 to grasp the battery terminal.

At the end of the terminal clamp opposite the battery post clamping portion, it will be noted that there is an upper cable clamping plate 18 and a lower cable clamping plate 19, generally mirror images of each other. The cable upper recess 20 and cable lower recess 21 are slightly tapered, and may be provided with a roughened or serrated surface to clampingly engage the battery cable 22. Cable clamping bolt holes 23 are provided in the cable clamping plates 18, 19, and may both be tapped to receive the threaded ends of the cable clamping bolts 24, or in the alternative, may be provided of slightly different sizes to cooperate with self-tapping bolts 24 which thread their way through the skeleton bottom cable clamp bolt holes as will be set forth in greater detail below.

The construction of the terminal clamp skeleton 25 will be best appreciated by reference to FIG. 2. There it will be seen that a pair of legs 26 are bent to a generally U-shaped configuration conforming to the terminal clamping aperture 11. At the ends of the legs 26 a pair of skeleton bolt holes 28 are provided with offset barbs 29 at their ends. The offset barbs serve to assist in orienting the skeleton within the mold in which the soft metal exterior is cast about the skeleton 25 to form the terminal clamp 10, and in addition serve, along with the configuration of the clamping plates 30, 31, to firmly lock and orient the skeleton within the soft metal. The skeleton upper cable clamping plate 30 and the skeleton lower cable clamping plate 31 are bent into a generally parallel configuration, each generally parallel with the respective edges of the legs 26.

The skeleton cable clamp upper bolt holes 32 are generally larger than-the skeleton cable clamp lower bolt holes 33. The clamping bolts 24, particularly if self-tapping, are then permitted to pass readily without metallic interference through the cable clamping bolt holes 23 of the upper portion of the cable clamping plate 18, and yet when penetrating the cable clamping bolt holes 23 in the lower cable clamping plate 19, they will self-threadedly engage the soft metal and tap themselves into the skeleton ca-ble clamp lower bolt hole 33 and its adjacent soft material.

The usage of the longitudinal terminal clamp 10 is self-evident from its construction, and Simple in nature. The terminal clamp 10 is merely placed over a battery post, and the cooperating terminal bolt 14 and terminal nut 15 are clamped together squeezing the lugs 16 and contracting the terminal clamping aperture 11 to firmly grip the battery post. Some cold flow may result from the soft metal exterior, particularly if it is employed, which intimately and more securely engages the battery terminal, thereby providing not only a more secure physical fit, but better electrical contact in a corrosion-resistant environment. The battery cable, particularly its stripped portion 22, is then inserted inthe upper and lower cable recesses 20, 21, and thereafter the cable clamping bolts 24 are inserted in the cable clamping bolt holes 23, the cable clamping bolts 24 then rotated until the upper and lower cable clamps 18, 19, securely grip and squeeze the cable 22 into. a cold fiow intimate electrical and physical, contact. The corrosion. resistant environment of the cable clamp is comparableto thatjof the battery post. Because the soft exteriormetal suchas lead is both corrosion resistant and susceptible of cold working, its superior properties are imparted to the connecting elements, reinforced by the interior skeleton made of a hard metal such as steel. Since both metals are economically less expensive than brass or bronze, and since a minimum of threading and other machining isrequi-red, the highly desirable properties of the steel and the lead are combined in a very economical form to perform the battery post and cable clamping functions in a superior manner. As the descriptionproceeds of two alternative embodiments, it will be observed that all of the desirable characteristics set forth above are imparted into those embodiments as well, and thus a repetition of the features set forth above will be appreciated.

The offset terminal clamp 35, illustrated in perspective form in FIG. 5, uses a single offset cable clamping plate 36. The skeleton of the offset terminal clamp is shown in layout form in FIG. 7. There it will be seen that the offset clamping plate 41 is generally triangular in nature, its apex being common with the extending legs 26 which terminate in skeleton bolt holes 28 and barbs 29 as in the first embodiment. The bolt holes 32 are either threaded, or proportioned for receiving a self-tapping thread. When the skeleton 40 of the offset terminal clamp is formed for casting, as illustrated in perspective form in FIG. 8, it will be seen that the skeleton offset clamping plate is generally parallel with the upper edge of the legs 26.

After the soft metal is cast about the skeleton offset terminal clamp 40 into the form shown in FIG. 5; a tapered lower cable recess appears on the upper face of the offset cable clamping plate 36. It may be provided with serrations, threads, or otherwise with a roughened surface to improve its clamping characteristics with the cable 22. To lock the cable 22 in place, a removable clamp 44 is provided which has a semicircular arch portion 45 terminating in offset ears 46 having cable clamping bolt holes 23. The cable clamping bolts 24 are then inserted into the bolt holes 23, and the'semicircular arch 45 cooperates with the tapered lower cable recess 42 to clampingly and securely engage and lock the end of the cable 22. The general offset relationship between the battery post clamping portion and the cable are illustrated in FIG. 6. i

The third embodiment illustrative of the invention contemplates a transverse terminal clamp 50 as illustrated in exploded perspective form in FIG. 9. There it will be seen that the transverse cable clamping plates 51 are provided with a transverse cable recess 52, so that the cable 22, instead of entering longitudinally between the clamping plates, enters transversely. In several applications orientation of the cable with relation to the terminal clamping aperture 11 is desirable. The skeleton 53 of the transverse cable terminal clamp 50, as illustrated in FIG; II, has a pair of transverse skeleton clamping plates 54 with upper and lower skeleton cable clamping bolt holes 32, 33, which are related in the same fashion as the other two embodiments for the use of self-tapping cable clamping bolts, or a threaded clamp. The skeleton 53, as illustrated in FIG. 12, is formed of a single stamping, and then bent in the same manner as the other skeletons of the first and second embodiments to conform to the configurations shown in perspective in FIG.'11. The rela tionship between the transverse clamp skeleton 53 and its environment of exterior soft metal is shown in FIG. 10. With the exception of the relationship between the bolt holes, to provide for threading, theolfset terminal clamp 35 and the longitudinal terminal clamp are bilaterally symmetrical in both planes. The otfset terminal clamp 35, understandably, is bilaterally symmetrical in the vertical plane, but not the horizontal plane. Nevertheless, the basic relationship between all of the clamping plates in the skeleton, and the skeleton legs 26 is common to all three embodiments, as is the implantation of the skeleton within a soft metal such as lead.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrated and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A terminal clamp comprising, in combination, a single piece unitary skeleton member of a hard metal, said skeleton member being completely covered with a soft material cast thereabout and having a pair of mirror image ofiset legs each terminating in an aperture, said legs being formed into a generally U-shaped configuration with the apertures oriented at the remote ends of the legs defining the U, a battery terminal clamping aperture defined between said U-shaped legs susceptible of contraction by means of bolt holes provided through said legs and cooperating closure means, said skeleton member further including clamping means for securing said terminal clamp to a cable including a pair of opposed parallel clamping plates with apertures aligned in each, said clamping plates extending rearwardly from said legs, cable recess means in said soft material cast about at least one of said clamping plates, and means for drawing said clamping plates together to clamp the end of said cable therebetween.

2. A terminal clamp, as claimed in claim 1, having different diameter apertures in respective ones of said clamping plates thereby permitting the use of a self-tapping threaded member to urge the clamping members together, the self tapping threaded member passing freely through the aperture in one of said clamping plates and then tapping its way into the soft metal about said aperture in the other one of said clamping plates and lockingly tapping into the hard metal of said aperture in said skeleton member.

3. A terminal clamp, as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said clamping plates has a single aperture formed in it, and wherein said cable recess means in said one clamping plate is proportioned to receive a cable oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said terminal clamp.

4. A terminal clamp, as claimed in claim 3, wherein the soft metal is lead, and the hard metal of said skeleton member is a single piece formed hard metal stamping.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,039,669 5/1936 Tenney 339-430 X 2,128,757 8/1938 Olson -41 X 2,602,105 7/1952 Welch et al. 3392,28 2,713,155 7/1955 Anderson 339-227 2,894,244 7/ 1959 Ringhof 339236 FOREIGN PATENTS 991,026 6/1951 France. 857,091 11/1952 Germany.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

